Center sealed package



Dec. 5, 1961 E. o. SIDER CENTER SEALED PACKAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1958 Edward T ZFQ Z Dec. '5, 1961 E. o. SIDER 3,011,631

CENTER SEALED PACKAGE Filed June 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORE Dec. 5, 1961 E. o. SIDER 3,011,631

CENTER SEALED PACKAGE Filed June 9. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q3 INVENTOR. Edward 0. 512416277 gm BY 7 new ($416 Q1 9 Dec. 5, 1961 E. o. SIDER 3,011,631

CENTER SEALED PACKAGE Filed June 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. L 3 l lzdward 0. Sicier;

United States Patent 3,011,631 CENTER SEALED PACKAGE Edward O. Sider, Chicago, 111., assignor of one-half to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 9, 1958, Ser. No. 740,722 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-60) This invention relates to the packaging of composition shingles and the like. It aims to provide a new package and a method of and means for producing the same. A particular form of composition shingle with which I am familiar consists of a relatively thick sheet of felt impregnated with asphalt or a similar compound.

Various fibrous bases may be used and various impregnating compounds may be applied to the same, according to the knowledge of the art of making shingles.

Shingles of the type involved in the specific embodiment herein disclosed have heretofore been packaged by forming a stack of twenty-six or twenty-seven shingles (eighty, 26 x 27 X 27, being required for a square), wrapping a sheet of corrugated paperboard (two sheets with a corrugated sheet bonded between them) laterally about the stack, and then applying holding hoops consisting usually of iron wires wrapped about the stack on the outside of the cornlgated board wrapper near each end of the stack. The ends of the wire are twisted together, or otherwise connected to each other. While this form of package has gone into extensive use, it ha numerous drawbacks. However, prior to the present invention, those drawbacks, though well known, had not been cured.

The initial application of the wire hoops tends to result in injury to the edges of the outermost shingles because the tightening of the wire hoops tends to cut through the corrugated board wrapper at the corners of the package. When workmen find it necessary to handle these packages of shingles, they are inclined to pick up the package by grasping the wires, even though they are instructed not to do so. This is particularly the case Where the wrapper of corrugated board presents a gap between its edges. Said gap reveals the wires as the most convenient part of the package to grasp. But handling the package by taking hold of the wires frequently causes the wires, or one of them, to cut through the wrapper and mar the finished exposed edge of the outermost shingle. The shingles thus damaged must be trimmed or thrown away.

These wires are further inconvenient when it comes to sliding one package of shingles over another, or over a supporting surface. The application of the wire hoops is difficult and slow. In some cases it slows production.

The wire hoops are a nuisance to cut. The roofer always carries a roofing knife, but it requires a wire cutter to open the package. Such a wire cutter is not convenient to carry, andhas no other use to the workman. In addition, the wires are not easily disposed of. They cannot be burned. They create a nuisance and a hazard.

The situation is not improved materially by substituting metal straps which are generally more difiicult to apply and are more expensive.

According to the present invention, I provide a novel package of shingles which may comprise a stack of either the usual twenty-six or twenty-seven or a greater or lesser number, which package is formed by wrapping the stack of shingles in a sheet of single thickness tough fiber paper to formv a continuous wrapper, which preferably extends the full length or substantially the full length of the stack. The wrapper forms a closed sleeve. The edges of the sheet, which extend lengthwise of thestack, are lapped one over the other, drawn tight, and connected by an adhesive, preferably of the-type known as pressure sensitive.

The stack is considerably greater in length than width or height, with the result that the sheet which is intended to form the wrapper must be held rather closely in position relative to the stack during the stacking of the shingles, the wrapping of the sheet, and the sealing or bonding of the wrapper. Where the operations or part of them, or the handling of the stack and sheets, prior to bonding of the wrapper, involves moving the stack and wrapper from one position to another, it is imperative that provision be made to avoid the displacement of the wrapper relative to the stack.

It is desirable to perform as much of the wrapping operation by machine as possible. To this end, registration of the sheet with the stack or the elements of the stack must be insured in order to secure final proper as sembly of the wrapper around the stack and permanent closing of the wrapper. Whether the operation be performed by machine or by hand, it is essential that provision be made for accurate registration of the stack with the wrapper, and that the closing and fastening of the wrapper be made as simple and expeditious as possible. The wrapper, which is a single thickness sheet of wrapper board about .01 to .015" preferably .012 thick, and formed from a good strength of paper, constituting a high tea-r test paperboard weighing about 40 to 50 pounds per thousand square feet, is preferably made water-repellent by applying a sizing such as Hercules Powder Company Aquapel, which is employed to size or finish the wrapper sheet on both sides. The thickness of the sheet may vary from .010" to .015" or more.

In the preferred practice of the invention, for the convenient closing of the wrapper, a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the margins upon opposite sides of the sheet, so that these sheets can be stacked Without the adhesive on adjacent sheets coming in contact with each other. This adhesive is applied hot. A suitable adhesive is Fuller adhesive No. 6-215-249 made by H. B. Fuller Company of Chicago. It is a water-dispersed, rubberbase material, the blocking temperature of which is about 1-80 F, that is to say, after drying it would become tacky if heated to that temperature. At temperatures below that, it will not adhere to the back of the adjacent sheet even under the pressure of a stack of such sheets of reasonable height. However, where sheets with a facing of such adhesive are pressed together after drying, those facings will immediately bond with great strength, at tem peratures below F. Other methods of bonding the edges together as by a fast-setting adhesive applied at the time of applying the wrapper or shortly prior thereto, may be employed. Whatever be the adhesion or its method or time of application, the aim is to secure a high I strength bond between the cooperating overlapping margins of the wrapper. It is preferable, but not essential, that the bonding material give a high initial strength bond. The wrapper may have a distinctive color, or may be ornamented with the manufacturers trademark or other insignia or ornamentation.

The wrapper sheets are provided with a longitudinal crease to lie along one longitudinal corner of the finished package. This crease sufliciently breaks the fibers along this line, so that the sheets will readily form a-right-angle corner into which corner the stack of shingles may be assembled. This dihedral corner willregister itself with a suitable assembly fixture which comprises a horizontal surface and an adjacent vertical surface, at the intersecting corner of which the creased line of the wrapper. sheet will be disposed and will be held by stacking the, shingles upon the horizontalsurface with their edges disposed in contact with the vertical part of the sheet as it is held in the fixture. The consequence of this assembly in the said fixture is to register the stack accurately with'the creased line which forms-the corner of the sheet. This corner forms the first of four right angle bends of the wrapper. It tends to hold the sheet and the stack in registration throughout the further operations of completing the assembly of the wrapper and the stack. The wrapper sheet may be relatively stiff and may tend to resist sharp bending along a definite line, and hence, an accurate location of the edge of the stack relative to the edge of the wrapper sheet initially would without the benefit of said crease present certain difficulties. Where the wrapper sheet is to be pulled tight about the stack, registration of the sheet accurately with the stack may be lost unless there is some way to hold the sheet definitely in register with the stack. The creasing of the sheet along a predetermined line tends to form a more or less flexible hinge which will assume a desired right angle bend initially and which will tend to grip the corner of the stack and remain in position during movement of the stack and sheet towards a package closing position and during pulling of the sheet tight about the stack.

While all of the operations of preparing the wrapper sheet and feeding the same to an assembly fixture, and the stacking and registration of the shingles with the wrapper sheet, and the subsequent operation of tightening the wrapper about the stack and closing the wrapper may be performed automatically, i.e., by automatic machinery, all of these steps can readily be performed by hand. They may be performed in part by hand and in part by machine at the preference of the user of the invention. Preferably the wrapper sheets are provided with the adhesive, and are creased and then stacked in a continuous run instead of employing an intermittently operating machine which would have a period of relative inactivity in the interval of assembling the stack in or on a wrapper. Alternatively, the adhesive may be applied 'by the wrapping machine preferably at the time the wrapper is tightened on the stack or just prior thereto.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple strong paper wrapped package of composition shingles and the like.

A further object is to get rid of the wire hoops of the prior art packages, and to be rid of their disadvantages. A further object is to provide a paper-wrapped package which can be expeditiously and cheaply assembled, and which will be convenient for the workmen to handle, and convenient for them to open.

A further object is to provide a novel method of making such a package.

A further object is to provide a novel wrapper sheet for making such a package.

A further object is to provide a wrapper sheet with a crease so formed and disposed that it may become the corner of the first bend of the wrapper about the stack. As such it should not interfere with the stiffness of the rest of the wrapper sheet, but should itself form a flexible hinge which connects the two relatively stifi parts of the sheet and allows the stack to hold the wrapper fixedly in a corner of a right angle fixture. I

Another object is to assemble the stack with the creased and first-bent sheet so that the two may be moved together in completing the assembly.

' A further object is toprovide a method of and means for pulling the wrapper tight about the stack and connecting the margins together by an adhesive which produces a high strength bond at the moment the margins are pressed together or as soon thereafter as possible.

1 A further object is to provide a wrapper sheet of rela- Itively strong 'paper' sheet with pressure-sensitive adhesive along the parallel margins on opposite sides whereby the wrapper sheets may be prepared in advance and stacked before use without blocking, but which, when applied to the stack,'wil1 register the lines of adhesive so-that they face each other. and are capable of strongly adhering to each other when the overlapping margins are pressed together.- Y Y .Afurther' object toprovidemeans for ,conveniently pulling the wrapper tight about the stack and pressing together the overlapping edges with pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and the claim.

Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and using the invention, I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings, a specific embodiment of the same.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a Wrapper sheet of my invention indicating the stripe of adhesive at the margins on opposite sides of the sheet, and indicates the 10- cating crease for forming the corner of the first bend.

FIGURE 2 shows the sheet of FIGURE 1, with the first bend of the wrap whereby two parts of the sheet are disposed at right angles to each other.

FIGURE 3 shows the wrapper sheet disposed on a stacking fixture ready to receive the shingles which form the stack.

FIGURE 4 shows the stack disposed on the sheet with one wing in vertical position and the other wing still in horizontal position.

FIGURE 5 shows the stack with the wrapping sheet with both wings disposed in vertical position.

FIGURE 6 shows the stack on the one flap of the wrapper sheet folded down flat in horizontal position.

FIGURE 7 shows the second flap overlapping the first flap, the forces tending to tighten the wrap about the stack, and to press the margins together being indicated by arrows.

FIGURE 8 shows the manner of lifting and handling the package when it is completely assembled.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary, sectional view indicating one manner of making the crease in the wrapper sheet which crease later forms the corner of the first bend of the wrapper.

FIGURES 10 and 10A, when placed in endwise registration, comprise a top plan View of means for assembling the wrapper and stack and completing the formation of the package.

FIGURES 11 and 11A likewise, when placed in alignment, form a side elevational view of said means illustrated in FIGURES 10 and 10A; and

FIGURES '12 and 13 are side elevation and top plan views, respectively, of a modified form of the pulling and closing'means particularly useful for packages of tapered thickness shingles.

. In the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the wrapper sheet 1 is provided along its edges or margins on opposite sides with parallel stripes 2 and 3 of pressure-sensitive adhesive, see FIGURE 1. These stripes 2 and 3 may extend completely to the edge, but should not run over the edget-o the opposite side, since that might result in blocking where a number of such sheets are assembled in a stack. The sheet is provided with-a crease 4 at such a location as to 'divide the sheet into two parts or portions, the first part 5'comprising a bottom portion and an integral wing portion, and the second part 6 comprising a wing portion. Each wing portion later forms a side portion and a flap, as will be seen more readily from FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. In a specific embodiment of my invention, this sheet I I is substantially square, and approximately 36" by 36".

The stripes of adhesive'2 and 3 are expected to have at least about one inch of common overlap, so that the connection between the flaps comprises this 1" by 36 area of bonded adhesive. The adhesive of stripes 2 and 3 is appliedhot, and it adheres tenaciously to the paper where it is applied. .In the specific embodiment above referred to, this wrapper 1 is applied to a stack 7 of asbestos-asphalt shingle, preferably 24 to 26 in number- I The stack is of a length of 36 inches, a width of 12'.

inches, and a height of about 4 to 5 inches.

While the stack is shown as consisting of shingles which have three units separated by notches 8, 8 and half notches 8a, 8a, it is to be understood that this is merely illustrative and that a larger or smaller number of segments may be formed by an appropriate number of notches and half notches. Also, while the shingles are all shown in a stack with the. notches 8, 8 in registration, it is to be understood that this is optional, and that the shingles may be reversed, so that, for example, half of the notches face one way and half of the notches face the other way or in any other desired relation. It is desired that the edges of the shingles be all in registration along the lateral faces, that is, the top and bottom and two sides or flanks are planes at right angles to each other. The ends of the shingles should also be in registration for the purpose of protecting the ends from damage.

The wrapper sheet 1 is preferably a specially made sheet of wrapper board of virgin pulp sulfite paper, about .012 thick and weighing in the neighborhood of 41-42 pounds per thousand square feet. This paper is made water-repellant by applying on one or both sides a sizing of Hercules Powder Company Aquapel. Any other suitable resinous or waxlike water-repellent coating or impregnant may be employed. The sheet is relatively stiff and slick, and might relatively easily be displaced, i.e., moved out of registration with respect to a superposed stack of shingles 7, in the operation of applying the wrapper LO the stack, if special measures be not taken to register and hold the sheet in definite relation to the stack.

A pressure sensitive adhesive which I have successfully employed is now found on the open market, designated as Pullers adhesive No. 6-215-249, manufactured by H. B. Fuller Company of Chicago. This adhesive is applied as a relatively thin (about 51% solids) waterdispersed compound having an elastomer (natural rubber) base. It may be applied to the margins of the sheet by brushing or spraying or by roller coat methods. Instead of a continuous stripe, a row or rows of registering spots may be used; After its application to the sheet and drying out, it is oil and water resistant and pressure active to itself. It will not block under normal temperature and pressure conditions encountered in its use when piled into a stack of sheets. Adhesives of the same or similar characteristics may be employed. It is not intended to limit the invention to the use of this specific type of adhesive, or to a pressure sensitive 'adhesive. A desirable condition of operation of my invention is that the adhesive becomes effective to produce a strong bond when the ends are overlapped and pressed together, or as soon thereafter as possible. I term this a high initial strength bond, and a non-tacky adhesive which is pressure-sensitive to itself, best fills this requirement, but it is not the only medium by which a high strength bond can be made. Obviously, where the wrapper sheet is to be prepared, fed and closed automatically, a fast setting adhesive may be used. Such adhesives usually have resin emulsion bases. Preferably, the sheet 1 outside the overlapped area is a suitable vehicle for advertising and distinctive marking.

In the assembly of the package, which package is illus trated in FEGURE 8, the sheet 1 is first folded on the crease line 4, so as to bring the wing 6 into vertical position and the larger portion 5 into horizontal position. To support the wrapper in this position, it is preferably disposed in a fixture 9 shown in FIGURE 3, this fixture comprising a vertical back portion 10 and a horizontal plate or table 12, the two parts 10 and 12 preferably meeting in the corner 11, whereby a firm support, both vertically and horizontally, is provided for the wrapper sheet 1 with the parts 5 and disp-osed as shown in FIG- URE 2.

Thereupon the shingles, as they are delivered in finished form, are assembled in a stack in the manner shown in FIGURE 4, with the four edge portions of the shingles in vertical registration to form a rectangular prismatic stack which is then registered along one longitudinal edge with the corner at the crease line 4, as shown in FIGURE 4. Next, the projecting wing portion 13 is bent up into vertical position along the front edge of the stack shown in FIGURE 4 into the form shown in FIG- URE 5. The wing portion 6 is then further folded over the top surface of the stack 7 to sub-divide the wing 6 into the vertical side portion 17 and the flap 15 which is brought into horizontal position as shown in FIG- URE 6. This brings the stripe 3 of pressure-sensitive adhesive into upwardly facing position so as to be engagea-ble by the pressure-sensitive stripe 2 on the flap 14, which is folded over the adjacent side edge of the stack 7 as shown in FIGURE 6. The wrapper is then folded around the stack 7, as shown in FIGURE 7. The flaps 14, 15 are pulled towards each other, as indicated by the arrows 18, 13 to tighten the wrap of the sheet about the stack. Thereafter, or while the overlying flaps are tensioned towards each other, a vertical pressure is applied to the overlying flaps along the line of the pressure-sensitive adhesive, as indicated by the arrows 19.

It is more convenient to apply the wrapping tension and the sealing pressure progressively. The sheet may be tensioned simultaneously along its full length and sealed along its full length, if desired. This bonds the two flaps together with the wrapper stretched tightly around the stack.

As will be explained more in detail in connection with the machine of FIGURES l0 and 11, the expedient of employing pressure sensitive adhesive previously applied to the opposite margins and dried to render it non-tacky, but active on a similarly coated surface by pressure alone, is the preferred way of effecting a desired high initial strength bond between the free margins or edges of the tightly'wrapped paper wrapper 1. The margins of the tightly applied wrapper may be joined by a high strength bond by a suitable adhesive applied by an applicator in the wrapping and package closing machine. Such an adhesive may be app-lied hot and chilled to give the desired high strength bond. Alternatively, it may be previously applied to the margins or margins of the sheet and allowed to cool to become non-tacky before it is Wrapped about the stack. Then in the operation of closing the package, the bonding material may be activated by heat to become adhesive and to develop the desired high strength bond on chilling.

Within the broad aspects of my invention, the desired final high strength bond may be brought about in several ways. The use of the pre-applied material which becomes pressure active to itself upon drying and/ or cooling, so as to develop the high initial strength bond is the simplest Way. Where the bond is to be developed by adhesive material applied in the wrapping and closing operation, and more particularly by machine, the margins may be kept under pressure for the necessary time, as by a sliding pressure shoe or rollers. Also, a larger bonding area may be employed. Radiant heat may be employed to ex pedite the operation. For such application at the machine adhesive materials of the type disclosed in Kesler Patent No. 2,626,934 may be utilized. Numerous adhesives of starch and resins or starch and rubber are available. They develop bonding strength rapidly, and are water resistant. Thermoplastic or thermosetting materials of known composition may be employed as above explained.

The completed package may readily he slid along the surface of another package or any smooth or relatively smooth surface, with ease.

The package may be lifted conveniently as shown in FIGURE 8. The workman inserts the fingers of one hand under about the fourth or fifth shingle at one end, and likewise he inserts the fingers of his other hand under the fourth or fifth shingle at the other end (see FIGURE 8), and thereupon the package may readily be lifted and handled as desired. The sheet 1 is flexible enough that when it is pulled about the stack, as indicated in FIGURE 7, and the adhesive margins pressed together, it forms what amounts to a relatively tight skin on the lateral surfaces of the stack 7. The manner of lifting and handling shown in FIGURE 8 tightens the wrapper, so that there is no tendency for the shingles to slip out endwise or be otherwise displaced with respect to the wrapper. While I have indicated the wrapper as extending to the edges of the stack endwise, that is desirable, but not strictly essential. It is desirable that the wrapper extend close enough to the endwise edge of the shingles that the shingles are substantially fully supported throughout their length, and will not be injured by handling in the manner above described.

In FIGURE 9 I have shown a known method for forming a crease, which is suitable for the purpose of my invention. The sheet 1 is passed between a pair of rollers 22 and 23. The roller 22 has a tongue formed on the otherwise cylindrical surface, this tongue 24 fitting into a cooperating groove 25 formed in the cylindrical surface of the roller 23, and the sheet 1 being pinched between the tongue and groove portions of the said rollers progressively to form the crease 4 above referred to. This insures a hingelike connection without a sharp breaking of the fibers of the paper. This crease may be formed in any other preferred manner.

The above operations are steps which in whole or in part may be performed by hand, or by machine.

4 In FIGURES 10, 10A and 11 and 11A, 1 have shown mechanical means for carrying out certain of the aforesaid steps. Referring to FIGURES 10, 10A, 11 and 11A, a suitable fixture 29 for supporting the two parts and 6 of the wrapper sheet are shown at the left of FIGURES and 11. This comprises a backboard 3i) corresponding to the backboard 10 of the fixture shown in FIGURE 3, against which the portion .6 of the wrapper sheet 1 may be disposed. A plate or table top 31 is disposed in horizontal position at right angles to the backplate 36'. An endless web or belt 32 is trained over rollers 33 and 34 and the upper run of the same extends over the horizontal plate 31, one or both of the rollers 33, 34 being'adapted to be clutched to driving means, as desired by the operator.

The assembly fixture 29 provided by the vertical and horizontal plates 30 and 31 serves as a support for the creased and first-bent sheet 1 when it is in the form shown in FIGURE 2 aforesaid. When the said first-bent sheet 1 is disposed upon the fixture 30, 31, the said vertical wing portion 6 is disposed against the backplate 30, and the horizontal portion 5 of the sheet is superposed on the movable belt 32. When the operations of assembling the stack of shingles, as shown in FIGURE 4, is completed, the operator starts the belt 32 into motion to carry the stack and wrapper sheet 1 to the right as viewed in FIGURES l0 and 11. Adjacent the movable belt 32 and its right hand roller 34 is a roller 35 and movable belt 36 trained thereover. The belt is adapted to be driven when desired by suitable drive means not shown. This roller 35 is journalled in a horizontal frame 37, 37 supported by legs 39, 39 at the left hand end, and likewise by legs '40 at the right hand end, and by intermediate supports 42. The frame is disposed in substantially horizontal position, and carries at its right hand end bearings for the roller 38 over which the belt 36 is also trained, so

that an object deposited on the left hand end of the belt 36 may travel to the right hand end when power i applied to the rollers 35 or 38.

The upper run of the web or belt 36 is preferably supported on a series of rollers 43 closely enough spaced to give adequate support to the objects to be conveyed along the length of the aforesaid web or belt. Guide arms 44 and 45 on opposite sides of the web 36 extend diagonally upwardly and inwardly towards the center. The lower outwardly disposed ends of the guide rods 44 and 45 are adjustably supported from the frame 37 on posts 46 and 47, so that their position vertically and laterally and endwise of the main frame 37 may be adjusted within the desired limits. Likewise, the upper converging ends 8 of the rods 44 and 45 may be adjusted vertically,laterally and endwise of the main frame 37 by adjustable posts 48, 48, clamped to a crossbar 49. This cross bar 49 is supported from side frames 37 by suitable posts 50, 50 at each end. Consequently, the side bars 44, 45 are adjustably supported at their upper ends on the said cross bar or bridge 49 supported above the main frame, and sufliciently far above the traveling web 36 to provide the desired clearance for the package in its course of formation being carried on the said web. Auxiliary guide rods 54, 55, adapted to form in effect a continuation of the guide rods 44, 45 are bentto form a converging throat 53 for bringing the flaps 15 and 14 into overlapping relation as the stack and wrapper travel toward the right. The said bars 54 and 55 are adjustably supported on the cross bridge 49 through the medium of the slots 56 in the cross bridge 49. Said bars extend into parallel relation, as at 54a, 55a as shown in FIGURE 10A, and at their rear ends are supported on a cross bridge 58 supported on posts 57 from the longitudinal frame members 37. The rear ends of the rods 54a, 55:: are supported on posts which have adjustment in the slots 59, 59 in said cross bridge 58. Parallel side bars 62, 63 are disposed in pairs on each side of the belt 36. These guide bars at their left hand ends in advance of the throat 53 converge towards the center of the belt and then extend along both sides in parallel relation at uniform distance from each other as the portions 62a, 634 from in advance of the bridge 49 to the rear or delivery end of the machine at the right of FIGURES 10A and 11A. These bars 62 and 63 are mounted on a series of U-shaped brackets 64 with the legs of the U disposed one above the other in horizontalposition. The upper legs of the brackets 64 are connected to cross bars or clips 65, which in turn are connected to the said side bars 62 and 63, respectively. The lower legs of the U-shaped bracket 64 extend into horizontal sockets 66 mounted on the side frames 37, said tubular guides 66 being connected to said side frames 37 by suitable connecting blocks or bars 68, whereby said brackets 64 may be clamped in said tubular sockets 66 in any desired lateral position to control the spacing between the pairs of side bars 62 and 63, and their parallel extensions 62a and 63a. These U-shaped brackets 64 are disposed along and supported on the side frame members at a number of points throughout the length of the machine. They serve to hold the Wrapper against the sides or flanks of the stack in the course of travel of the partially formed package from the assembly bracket 29 to the delivery end of the machine. The function of the bars 44, 45 and 54, 55 is to fold and hold the flaps 15, 14 over the top of the stack with the flap 14 overlying the flap 15.

Referring to FIGURE 10A, a pair of cross bridge members 69, 69 carried on vertical posts 70, 70 in turn supported on .the side frame members 37, carry in adjustable relation a pair of longitudinally extending channel bars 72, 72 on opposite sides of a longitudinal median plane extending lengthwise of the device. Rubber faced rollers 73 mounted in bearing brackets 74 are carried on the V longitudinally extending bars 72 at a height above the traveling web such as to contact firmly with the upper surface of the partially completed package carried under said rollers by the moving web 36. These rollers 73 have their axes disposed in a horizontal plane, but are inclined "to the longitudinal axis of the machine in opposite directions in pairs, so that each pair of rollers tends to pull the flaps 14 and 15 tight around the stack of shingles as the stack with the wrapper sheet around it passes under said rollers 73, 73. The said rollers 73, 73 engage the surfaces of the flaps,14, 15 with sufficient friction that by their toed-in mounting they tend to pull the'flaps in such directions as to increase the overlap of the flaps 14 and 15. In otherwords, the flaps 14 and 15 are engaged by the rollers 73, 73 in pairs to produce opposed pulls tending to increase the overlapv of the flaps 14 and 15, but

without pressing upon the pressure-sensitive areas. A

spring finger 75, having its rear end supported on the cross bridge member 29, is adapted to engage the central overlapping part of the wrapper where the flaps 14, 15 overlie each other with the stripes of pressure-sensitive adhesive 2 and 3 in register. The spring 75 is intended primarily to hold down the front end of the said overlying flaps, so that the same will readily pass under the pressure rollers 76, 77 which are mounted with their axes squarely across the longitudinal axis of the machine, so that these rollers 76, 76, which preferably are rubberfaced, press together the pressure sensitive stripe 2 and 3 with sufiicient firmness to bond the two flaps together. The rollers 76, 77 are mounted in brackets 78, which in turn are supported on longitudinal bars 79, 79 connected by adjustable posts 80, 88 to the cross bridge members 82, 82. The said cross bridge members 82, 82 in turn are supported from the side frames 37, 37 by the vertical posts 83, 83.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The machine is intended to and does carry out a part of the process of making the package of wrapped shingles above described. The wrapper sheet 1 is prepared, as explained in connection with FIGURE 1, by cutting the waterproofed sheet to the right size, applying the adhesive in two oppositely disposed marginal stripes 2 and 3, and the formation of a crease 4 in the location indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2, that is, to divide the sheet into two parts, one part of which is a wing, the other part a bottom plus wing. The wings in turn are formed later into side portions and overlying flaps. The sheet, as shown in FIGURE 2, is supported in the assembly fixture consisting of the vertical backboard 30, and the horizontal run of the movable belt 32, which in turn is supported upon the table 31. There the sheet bent at right angles on the crease 4 is disposed with the vertical portion 6 against the backboard 30 and the horizontal portion 5 on the web of the belt 32. The stack of shingles is then assembled, as explained in connection with FIGURE 4, upon the bent and supported sheet 1 to assemble the two portions of the package in the relation shown in F1- URE 4.

Thereupon the operator causes the belt 32 to deliver the partially completed package onto the traveling belt 36. The vertical backboard 30 in the position shown will deliver the wing 6 in vertical position into engagement with the inclined guide bar 44 which, as the partial- 1y made package moves along towards the right, tends to bend the wing 6 to develop the side portion 17 and the flap 15. At the same time, the horizontal run of the web 32 delivers the wing 13 upon the top surface of the inclined guide bar 45, shown at the bottom of FIGURE 10. As the package travels along on belt 36 the wing 13 will be raised by the upwardly and inwardly inclined guide bar 45, but this folding operation will in that specific arrangement be later than the folding of the wing 6. i

The location of the backboard 30 with reference to the guide bars 44 and '62 may be varied. In the position shown, the backboard 30 delivers the partially completed package with the wing 6 and adjacent edges of the stack 7 encountering the guide bar 44 and the longitudinal guide bars 62, respectively, in succession. This requires the partially completed package to move over towards the center on the web 36, so as to center the package with respect to the median plane of the machine. When the assembly of'wrapper and stack has arrived at the parallel portion of the side bars 62, the upper diagonal portion 54 of the guide bar 54, 52a takes control of the flap 15 and bends or folds it over the top of the stack.

Meanwhile, the horizontally extended Wing 13 of the wrapper 1 overlies the inclined bar 45 and as the assembly moves forward the wing 13 is folded first into vertical position, and then turned over the top of the stack and over the flap 15 and is held in that overlying position by the parallel portion of the bars 54, 55. These bars may be inclined downwardly to about the level of the bottoms of the rollers 73, 73, so as to deliver the wrapper but unsealed package under the said rubber faced rollers 73, 73. The longitudinal axis of the wrapped package is in register with the longitudinal axis of the machine, and the overlapping margins of the flaps 15, 14 are disposed between the said rollers 73, 73 as the package is moved along by the traveling belt 36. These rollers 73, 73 have their axes inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine in such a direction that they tend to pull the paper from the outer edge of the package towards the center of the package where the margins of the flaps overlie each other, as shown in FIGURE 7 above. The package is then moved forward under the spring finger '75, which spring finger delivers the forward edge of the overlapping portion of the flaps 14, 15 under the pressure rollers 7d, 77. The pressure rollers firmly press the pressuresensitive adhesive together and complete the package. The completed package is then carried out from between the parallel bars 62a and 63a to the delivery end of the machine. The function of the bars 62, eSZa, 63, 63a is to guide the package longitudinally with sufficient pressure on the flanks of the package to hold the side portions 15, 17 in contact with the flank of the stack. These side bars 62, 62a and 63, 63a may be mounted to have slight lateral play under spring pressure, so that they can deliver a lateral spring pressure to the said side walls 16, 17 of the wrapper.

It is contemplated that instead of the specific adhesive above described other suitable adhesive be utilized. Thus the stripes or bands of adhesive at 2 and 3 on the opposite margins of wrapper sheet 1 may comprise a tacky adhesive applied in advance of the closure of the wrapper. Such adhesive must be capable of non-bonding overlap prior to bonding so that the tightening of the wrapper about the stack as illustrated in FIGURE 7 is possible. A thermosetting or thermoplastic bond may be made by using suitable resins of natural or artificial origin. The specific adhesive herein described has the necessary qualities for the desired purpose. It has a certain degree of elasticity and does not become brittle on exposure to cold or by aging.

Instead of having the backboard 36 disposed to one side of the throat 53, the said backboard 30 may be disposed so that when the package is delivered onto the traveling belt 36, it need not be pushed laterally on the surface of the belt 36, but may be fed in axial alignment directly into the throat 53. In that event, the package will be delivered onto the belt 36 with the edges of the stack substantially in longitudinal register with the broken lines 85, in FIGURE 10. Alternatively, the assembly fixture 29 may be located so as to deliver the assembled wrapper 1 and stack 7 with the edges of the stack below the broken lines 85, 85. In that case, the assembly will be pushed laterally into register with the throat 53. The guiding bars obviously may be adjusted to secure optimum performance. Instead of using separate bars, strips or plates may be suitably formed and used to perform the same functions. Adjustability is more easily attained where the guiding portions are made of separate pieces, such as the rods shown, but after the dimensions are once fairly well determined, the assembled parts of the package may be delivered through a relatively permanent framev which might be regarded as a tunnel, with suitable guid ing, folding, tightening and pressing operations performed upon the assembly to arrive at the finished'package shown in FIGURE 8.

The assembly fixture 29 is shown as-associated with the independent movable belt 32. instead of a separate belt 32, the main belt 36 may be extended to cooperate with the assembly fixture 29. in that case, the main belt 36 Will be stopped while the sheet 1 and stack 7 are assembled upon it.

In FIGURES l2 and 13, I have shown a modified form of the closing and sealing means which is particularly advantageous where the stacks may present an uneven top surface. Some shingles are manufactured with a tapered thickness and when they are stacked, the top surface may cant to one side or the other. Particularly to meet that situation, and to give greater assurance of satisfactory operation under all other conditions as well, I have, in the modifications shown in FIGURES l2 and 13, provided individual mountings for each of the rollers of a pair and for the pairs to operate independently. Also the whole gang of tightening rolls may be adjusted up and down for various heights of stacks, as desired. Referring first to FIGURE 13, I have shown three pairs of tightening rolls 86, set with axes substantially horizontally and skewed to produce a pull toward the center of the package. The rolls 86 are mounted in individual brackets 87, 87. Each bracket is in turn supported upon an individual floating platform 88 hinged at its front end on the hinge 89 provided by a bracket 90 which depends from a plate 91 which plate constitutes an adjustable frame for three of the rollers and their accompanying equipment on one side of the central longitudinal plane of the machine. A similar set of three rollers is mounted on a similar plate 91 on the other side of the central longitudinal plane. The rear end of the floating platform 88 in each case is controlled as to height by a limit bolt or pin 92 passing through a slot in the frame plate 91, and provided at its upper end with a head 93 which limits the downward travel or" the bolt 92, and consequently of the floating frame 88. The floating frame 88 is free to swing upwardly, so far as the bolt 92 is concerned, but can move downwardly only to the extent of the length of the bolt 92, whereupon the head 93 engages the plate 91. The floating frame 88 may be raised by plunger 94 of a corresponding solenoid 95. The plunger 94 is connected by a hinge 96 to the floating platform 88 intermediate its ends. In the operation of the machine, the solenoid is normally energized, and the floating platform 88, and the corresponding roller 86 will be in raised position above the level of the oncoming stack and its wrapper.

The adjustable frame 91, which supports three solenoids, is duplicated on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the machine. Each such'plate 91 is supponted at all four corners by adjustable posts 101, which are in turn connected with cross bars 110, 110, which cross bars 110 at their outer ends are connected by brackets 97, 97 and adjustable bolts 98 to brackets 99, 99 mounted upon frame members 100, 100 at each side of the machine. These longitudinal frame members 100 are supported on posts 102, 102 at each side of the'machine. The overall adjustment of both bars is thus effected by raising or lowering of the bars 110, 110 through the medium of the adjustable bolts 98. The particular adjustment may be fixed by means of the clamping screws 103 which clamp the bars 97 to the posts 102. 7

Towards the rear of the machine, a pressure roller 104, mounted upon a swinging frame 105, pivoted at 106, is free to float up and down except that its downward motion is limited by the head 107 on the limiting bolt 107a.

Feeler members 108 for opening the circuits of the solenoids 95 through suitable limit switches (not shown) ;are located adjacent the lateral guides slightly to the rear of each pair of tightening rolls 86. Normally,

when the machine is empty, the solenoids are energized, and the rolls 86 are in raised position. When a package in course of completion enters under the first roll 86,

the forward edges of the stack and its paper wrapper are free to pass under the first pair of rolls 86, since I the said rolls are not in lowered position. However, as

soon as the forward edge of'the stack encounters the feeler 108, the circuit of the first pair of solenoids is broken, and the first pair of rolls 86 are free to drop by swinging of, the floating platform 88 downwardly. As

the forward edge of the package passes under the next roller and encounters the next feeler 108, the corresponding pair of solenoids will be de-energized and the rolls 86 dropped in place to exert their eifect. Each feeler operates on a pair of solenoids, that is to say, a pair of rolls 86 which are disposed in transverse registration, so that they may pull on the paper simultaneously to tighten the same around the adjacent part of the stack. As the stack and its wrapper leave the successive detecting fingers 108, the corresponding circuits for the solenoids will be closed, and the rolls 86, 86 raised accordingly.

Where the surface of the package is higher or lower by a recognizable amount which it is desired to take into account, the same may be done by adjusting the length of the bolts 98 at the four corners of the frame. If desired, the supporting plates 91, 91 may be tilted to one side or the other by suitable adjustment of the said adjustable bolts 98-. If desired, each bracket 87 may have a transverse rocking motion longitudinally of the axis of its roll to further accommodate the rolls to the surface of the paper which it is desired to force towards the center, that is, in the direction of tightening the wrapper about the stack.

The single closing roll 104, by the weight of itself and the connected parts, delivers the desired pressure through its elastic face to the overlapping edges which are to be bonded together. In a case where the adhesive is to be set after its application, as where the adhesive is applied at the machine, the conveyor belt 36 may be extended to another conveyor belt disposed in endwise relation thereto, and a shoe or roller be provided for maintaining pressure upon the seam or bonded joint long enough to insure setting of the bond. This may be hastened by the application of radiant heat. Where prepared sheets with pressure sensitive adhesive are employed, the operations as described in connection with FIGURES 1 to 11, inclusive, are duplicated on the form of machine shown in FIGURES 12 and 13, with the difference that the pulling rolls are applied in pairs after the forward edge of the pack passes under them. Normally, the rolls 86 will be raised to provide a clearance of from one-half to three-quarters of an inch above the bundle. When the leading end of the bundle is approximately two inches past the center of the roll, a limit switch operated by the feeler 108 will de-energize the solenoid, so that the roll drops on top of the bundle. Due to its independent suspension, each roll Will exert the same pressure, regardless of the contour or height of the bundle. By dropping the roll after the leading edge of the bundle has passed under it, wrinkling of the paper will be reduced to a minimum, thereby greater uniformity and a tighter bundle will result.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise details shown nor to the performance of the steps in the exact manner described, since it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variation within my invention as defined in the accompanying claim is or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

A package of shingles comprising a stack of shingles of rectangular oblong outline and of predetermined width disposed with their side and end edges in vertical registration, and a flat wrapper of sheet material of uniform single ply thickness secured tightly about said stack under transverse tension efiective for restraining the shingles of the stack against looseness and relative movement, said wrapper having two flaps respectively of a width approximately one-half that of the stack extending inward over the upper face of the stack from the sides thereof with their inner marginal portions overlapping along the central lengthwise area of the stack and a'dhesively secured together providing a reinforcing two ply strip extending lengthwise of the upper face of the stack centrally thereof, said wrapper being disposed within the length of said stack and otherwise free therefrom and being Water-repellent With a slick outer surface free of obstructions to sliding movement of said package upon another like package, whereby a plurality of said packages may be stacked with the ends of the shingles of said packages in contact and the respective packages of a stack thereof may be slid off of the stack and transported by inserting the fingers between the ends of the shingles of the package and grasping the upper end portion thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,548 Richards Apr. 19, 1887 14 Abraham July 3, 192 3 Renz July 31, 1934 Bacon Apr. 16, 1940 Jones Dec. 26, 1950 Inman Dec. 1, 1953 Blackburn et a1. Apr. 17, 1956 Bettoli et a1. Feb. 4, 1958 Jacobs et a1. May 6, 1958 Yount Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 20, 19 56 

